In recent days, Congress has introduced two divergent “emergency” bills to address privacy issues arising during the COVID-19 crisis. While both bills aim to protect personal data collected for the purposes of contact tracing and containing the spread of the illness, the bills – one led by Republicans, the other by Democrats – offer different approaches in key areas, including the scope of entities covered, preemption of state law, and whether to provide a private right of action. Given these differences, it is unlikely either bill will pass in its current form, barring significant concessions from each side of the aisle. Here is a high-level summary of the key points addressed in each bill: READ MORE →